I think it is a loss for both teams. Tampa lost the money and a reliever and the Sox lost the chance at getting a decent prospect as part of their rebuild.

There wasn't much trade value in Crain midseason because he is a non-closing relief pitcher. What he was doing, he was doing very well, but if scouts questioned why he wasn't pitching in situations where they would expect him to at be used, his value would have been less.

I watch A's games because I get those games, and Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook seemed to be in the high 30s in innings pitched through June as well. And neither was as effective as Crain. If Crain were on the A's instead of Cook (unrealistic because Billy Beane doesn't believe in high salaries for relievers), I don't believe he wouldn't have been used any differently than he was with the White Sox.